The Founder Konosuke Matsushita

Chapter 3From the End of the War to theElectric Application Boom

Visiting the United States: in 1951 at age 56

Panasonic was released from the last of its postwar restrictions in 1950.
In his annual management policy address in 1951,
Konosuke announced that the time had come for the company to take its place in the international economic community.
He cautioned his employees to respect their cultural heritage as they
geared up for operations on a global scale.
Visiting the United States to see for himself how American industry
operated.
Konosuke noticed a huge gap between prosperous America and impoverished
Japan, observing that, "An essential requirement for prosperity is
a social structure that allows people to fully exert their individual
talents and abilities."
In order to compete with the West, he realized that his company would
need a better knowledge of electronics, and a more specialized approach
to product development.